1. Field of the Disclosure
This invention relates to cleaning compositions comprising unsaturated fluorocarbon ethers. The invention further relates to use of said cleaning compositions in methods to clean, degrease, deflux, dewater, and deposit fluorolubricant. The invention further relates to novel unsaturated fluorocarbon ethers and their use as cleaning compositions and in the methods listed above.
2. Description of the Related Art
Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) compounds have been used extensively in the area of semiconductor manufacture to clean surfaces such as magnetic disk media. However, chlorine-containing compounds such as CFC compounds are considered to be detrimental to the Earth's ozone layer. In addition, many of the hydrofluorocarbons used to replace CFC compounds have been found to contribute to global warming. Therefore, there is a need to identify new environmentally safe solvents for cleaning applications, such as removing residual flux, lubricant or oil contaminants, and particles. There is also a need for identification of new solvents for deposition of fluorolubricants and for drying or dewatering of substrates that have been processed in aqueous solutions.
The present invention provides new compositions comprising unsaturated fluorocarbon ethers, and methods of manufacture of such unsaturated fluorocarbon ethers. These compositions have utility in many of the applications formerly served by CFC compounds. The compositions of the present invention possess some or all of the desired properties of little or no environmental impact, ability to dissolve oils, greases or lubricants (in particular fluorine-containing lubricants), non-flammability, and ability to dissolve surfactant compounds used in methods for drying or dewatering.